Bottle cap



June 14, 1932. 3 BELLOWS 1,863,081

BOTTLE CAP Filed Aug. 4. 1930 m nzor; EARL SBEL W8.

Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARL S. BELLOWS, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOB TO NTIN GTON RUBBER MILLS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A. CORPORATION OF OREGON BOTTLE CAI Application filed August 4, 1930. Serial No. 472,957.

My invention relates to closures for glass bottles designed to contain effervescent fluid .producing a pressure in the container; and it is also useful for inert fluids or for use 5 in bottling processes resultant in a partial vacuum in the top of the bottle after the contents have been placed'therein.

The particular feature of my new bottle cap is its capability of being re-used many times and the provision made for removing it without the use of tools or implements which will tend to destroy it.

The following drawing accompanies and forms a part of this specificatiomin which Fig. I is a side view partly in section of the cap in place on a bottle;

Fig. II isa top or plan view of Fig. I; and Fig. III is a section on the line IIIIII,

E II. 20 he bottle cap will be made of a rubber composition or similar synthetic resilient material and will be vulcanized or otherwise made up in composition so that while it is substantially rigid it will have enough resil- Iency to be placed in position.

The cap consists essentially of a molded structure having an internally formed annular recess, 1, adapted to fit an external bead on the mouth of a bottle, with a shaped portion, 2, adapted to conform to the bilge usually found below the bead at the neck of the bottle, and a surrunding bottom flange, 3, having an outside diameter somewhat in excess of the main structure which is provided to give a little additional strength and prevent the cap from expanding under the influence of internal pressure in the bottle.

The essential feature of my new bottle cap which distinguishes it from all others is the thumb tab 4, and the reinforcement, 5, which allows the cap to be removed from the bottle in the manner shown by thumb pressure in Fig. III.

A substantial pressure exerted as shown at ient cap and allow'contained as pressure to esca e gradually as indicatef by the arrow in ig. III, or will break a vacuum within the bottle by allowing atmospheric air to enter in the opposite direction.

the cap for the pur this point will cause a stretching ofthe resil- It is essential in constructing this ca that the reinforcement, 5, shall be provi ed in order that the proper stretching as shown in Fig. III may be the resultant of pressure applied as shown in that figure.

It has been found by experiment that the best form for the reinforcement, 5, is that shown, a substantiall half cylindrical buttress extending from t e upper portion of the thumb tab, 4, to the top of the surface of the cap 1a. This has also been found to be a convenient form of construction for the molds in which the bottle cap isvulcanized, lending itself to s mmetr of outline and providing the requisite sti ness at this point of the cap.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, in a manner that would permit anyone familiar with the art to which it appertains to make and use it, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bottle cap of resilient material, a closure cap portion, an internally formed annular recess adapted to fit an external head on the mouth of a bottle, a shaped portion adapted to conform to a bilge therebelow, a surrounding bottom flange having an outside diameter in excess of the main structure,

and an enlarged thumb tab portion formed thereon with a semi-circular reinforcement buttress for the thumb tab formed integral with the structure.

2. In a bottle cap of resilient material, a closure cap portion, an internally formed annular recesswithin the cap adapted to fit an external head on the mouth of a bottle, a shaped ortion adapted to conform to a bilge therebe ow, a surrounding bottom flange having an outside diameter in excess of the mam structure and a larger thumb tab portlon formed thereon and a reinforcement above the thumb tab portion molded integral wlth ose specified. ARL S. BELLOWS. 

